“We Laugh At How Nasty That Would Have Been”
July 3rd, 2016
Former Tampa Bay defensive tackle Roy Miller (2009-2012) opens up to Joe about a sore subject in Bucs history.
Yes, Joe vividly remembers when Tampa Bay had the NFL’s No. 1-ranked rush defense in 2012.
Tackles for loss were as common as Joe using a bottle opener on July 4.
Nobody ran on that Bucs defense. Michael Bennett was an absolute animal from the left defense end spot. Roy Miller and Gerald McCoy were immovable at defensive tackle. Rookie Lavonte David was a tackling machine. The greater beauty of it all was that the core was so young.
And even Daniel Te’o Neshiem, while he couldn’t rush the passer to save his life, was a beast against the run after defensive end Adrian Clayborn blew out his knee in Week 3.
In 2012, David had 20 tackles for loss, most in the NFC. Bennett had the third-most in the conference. But the Bucs shunned Bennett and Miller in free agency after the season. For some reason — actually, for no good reason — the Bucs broke up the band.
Bennett went to Seattle on a one-year deal, and Miller headed to the Jaguars to play nose tackle. Miller is on his second Jags contract, one that now pays him $4 million-plus annually. He started 16 games last year with four sacks and a forced fumble.
Joe spoke privately with Miller at Jags minicamp last month. One topic was the breakup of what seemed like greatness brewing on the 2012 Bucs defense.
“It was crazy. I was told my position was the 12th-most important on the team, and I just didn’t like that, ” Miller said. “So I decided, more than anything, I wanted to play for respect. I received a terrible offer [from the Bucs]. I just felt my value wasn’t appreciated. I felt it would be easier to start all over somewhere else.
“We had Gerald McCoy, Mike Bennett, A.C. Clayborn. We had a solid building block. We added Lavonte David. We were headed the right way. Gerald is a good friend. Mike Bennett is still a good friend. We just kind of laugh together at how nasty that would have been had we continued to play together.
“We were on to something really good, really special, had the most tackle for losses in the NFL. I hated that it broke up. You know, we had just added Mark Barron, too, a very talented guy.”
Interestingly, Miller claims he was accused of selfishly sitting out a post-concussion situation late in that 2012 season. The accusation, he said, disgusted him enough to want to move on from Tampa Bay. Miller missed just one game in 2012, when the Bucs were 6-6 and facing a bad Eagles team at home in December.
Miller said the accusation got to him but it didn’t emanate from head coach Greg Schiano.
“Me and Schiano had a great relationship,” Miller said. “There were some things: I had a concussion that year and I missed the [Week 14] Eagles game, and I was told that I was saving myself for free agency. There was just too much stuff to where I felt like, beyond business, as a man I couldn’t return to something like that if they’re going to be that shady.
“I just know me and Schiano talked a lot in free agency and we had a lot of contact, saying he really wanted me to come back. But my agent was telling me my position wasn’t valued, which it wasn’t outside of the coaching staff.”
Joe loves interesting Bucs history, and this certainly qualifies, especially considering today’s concussion-sensitive climate in the NFL.
Of course, Joe must agree with Miller, keeping Bennett, McCoy and Miller together would have been “nasty” for offenses and freed the Bucs to invest their resources in other directions.
July 3rd, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Basically he just called out the rock star GM
July 3rd, 2016 at 1:35 pm
Wow. How could you blame Miller assuming he’s speaking the truth which I believe he is. Some coaching staffs and front offices just don’t get it. I believe the current regime does get it.
July 3rd, 2016 at 2:26 pm
The glazers don’t get it. Papa Glazer was switched on but the kids are rich and clueless.
July 3rd, 2016 at 2:32 pm
Has it been that bad on the defensive side of the ball lately that we are dreaming about a defense that was extremely one-dimensional? The only thing historical about that defense was the number of pass yards it gave up #itsabucslife
July 3rd, 2016 at 2:48 pm
Dominic would have been the one calling these shots, not the Glazers. And I wouldn’t put it past Schiano to be playing both sides of the fence. Roy, you were played.
July 3rd, 2016 at 3:06 pm
Starts at the top boys
July 3rd, 2016 at 3:46 pm
If Miller’s position was not valued, it was because Schiano did not value it. Schiano being nice to Miller was a ploy to get Miller to sign a bad deal. Miller’s agent saw through the tactics. What is how Joe and some of his posters can extrapolate ridiculous ideas about Lovie’s termination but can see a mountain.
July 3rd, 2016 at 3:50 pm
” And I wouldn’t put it past Schiano to be playing both sides of the fence. ”
——–
Excellent point BigMac! I wouldn’t doubt it either.
July 3rd, 2016 at 4:09 pm
Two things.
A little honesty…Mark Baron and Clayborn? Really? That was going nowhere fast.
Secondly, the media and fans were absolutely horrible during the two Schiano years. Media hated him. Fans, well, they still hate.
Miller is a good guy, but not a good football player. The Jags are not all that great either, as I recall. I doubt he would start on a good team.
Most tackles for loss…big deal. Did it win games?
I thought not.
July 3rd, 2016 at 4:14 pm
Destinjohnny Says
“The glazers don’t get it. Papa Glazer was switched on but the kids are rich and clueless.”
I beg to differ.
I think they give up too easy on coaches but I also think they had a hard time finding the right GM to help them build the way they wanted…through the draft and offense first.
As I’ve said dozens of times, Licht absolutely sucks at free agent vet signings…but he rocks with the drafts and young free agents. I also think the Glazers wanted an offensive coach for a while, but the fans wanted defense mostly, and they caved to the pressure.
The past 3-4 years may not have the wins we want…but drafts have been building a lasting contender. You can thank the Glazers first for that.
July 3rd, 2016 at 4:38 pm
Not sure how much of a loss Mr. Miller was, Mr. Spence has done some good things for us as a draft replacement, and Mr McDonald is a better DT than both so we moved up and moved on. Good luck this season Mr. Miller.
July 3rd, 2016 at 5:21 pm
I like big Miller as a person and that’s about it..He was like watching Chris Hovan play,you knew damn well he wasent going to get to the Q.B …Good luck in j-ville ,maybe you can convince them to make a play for your ‘bro McSofty’
July 3rd, 2016 at 6:18 pm
When a tackle for a loss stops a drive,it can and does win games.
Whatever it takes to stop the other teams mo.
July 3rd, 2016 at 6:20 pm
There is no shock value here. Nothing surprises me when it comes to how our Bucs have conducted Business. Past/future/Present. And I do mean..Nothing. When Your’re at the bottom, there is always a scrappy messy struggle trying to get out of the barrel.
July 3rd, 2016 at 6:57 pm
Spence & McDonald > Miller.
July 3rd, 2016 at 8:07 pm
The only constant in the BUCS’ losing ways, is none other than the coddled glazer boys. Since they have been calling the shots, nothing has gone well… Read my name… And you’ll know how I feel.
July 3rd, 2016 at 8:49 pm
glad the rock star GM is gone 🙂 good with cap space… bad at building a team
July 3rd, 2016 at 10:33 pm
Happy 4th of July, that’s what it sounds like outside right now, Geez, these people don’t know one day from the next. Must be common core schooling.
July 3rd, 2016 at 11:07 pm
Geez the man says he felt he was valued by the coaching staff and had a good relationship with Schiano, yet some are surmising Roy was being played by Schiano? If Roy was being played it was more likely by the person who “generally manages” the negotiations between the organization and a player’s agent. Roy and the Bucs both moved on. All good.
July 3rd, 2016 at 11:09 pm
it’s the Florida education system.
July 4th, 2016 at 8:18 am
More great decision making from the so called Rock star. If letting one of the most promising and talented DE’s that we had since the great Simeon Rice walk over a whopping 5 mill wasn’t bad enough. He let’s a very solid no. 2 DT walk over what? A couple pennies? Lol u don’t get rid of talent that u develop. What kind of sense does that make? Ppl say we’ll look how bad the defense was all together. It wasn’t because of guys like Bennet, Miller and McCoy tho!! They were pieces that u build around. Maybe not Miller but he was certainly worth keeping. And I forgot about the great Teo Neisham. Lol never got why he received so much playing time. The again were talking about Schiano and the type of guys he liked to play.
July 4th, 2016 at 9:02 am
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July 4th, 2016 at 9:19 am
Let’s not forget that the same 2012 Bucs defense that ranked #1 vs the run was DEAD LAST vs the pass. Second half vs the NYG that year when Eli torched us to finish with over 500 yards passing… brutal. Happened too many times. D-line did not bring enough heat and our secondary was picked apart all season long.
“Must learn balance” M.Miyagi
July 4th, 2016 at 5:18 pm
Miller was only a run stopper and got zero sacks. Spence is a better run stopper and got three sacks last year. I complained big time it was a big mistake to let Bennet go on this blog and others. Schiano was two faced and gave away a lot of our talent to his Great Buddy at New England, I wouldn’t doubt he would lie to Miller.
July 5th, 2016 at 2:35 am
[…] Bucs commander Greg Schiano was huge on this. But what happened? It blew up in his face after some head-scratching personnel moves and a quarterback going […]